Nehemiah was not a warrior in the natural sense. He was just a man spending his life tasting wine and keeping the king and queen happy. However, that was his public life. In private he was a man of God. He studied the Word of God diligently and prayed and fasted before God to seek God’s will and purpose for him, despite the apparent futility as he was a captive in the enemy’s court and living a life of subjugation and humiliation. He was a man led by the Spirit. He was an overcomer!
With God’s favor, he took up the 12 years assignment to become a governor of Jerusalem and finished the rebuilding of Jerusalem walls in 52 days!
The neighboring enemies mocked, insulted, blatantly threatened harms, secretly plotted to attack and kill. They also tried soft tactics four times with the motive of murder and when failed adopted poison letter to accuse and slander Nehemiah of treason. They even hired a prophet to falsify, intimidate, and make him sin so they could discredit him.
HOW DID NEHEMIAH WIN THE WAR?
1. He prayed to God. He knew God. He identified with God’s will.
2. He focussed on the work: ie. to continue building and complete the walls within the shortest possible time (in 52 days).
3. He stuck to the truth (God’s plumb line -His Word and His will)
4. He was not afraid to die but he would not die for useless and foolish purpose.
5. He identified with his people’s needs and met their needs.
6. He posted guards. In fact he armed all builders. (Our enemies today are in the spiritual realm: we need to put on the full armor of God and stand guard as we continue building our temple of God and personal Jerusalem).
Enemies Oppose the Rebuilding: Chapter 4
FIRST ROUND OF ATTACK FROM ENEMY: BY INSULTS
1-2 “What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? (insulting the Jews: limited manpower) Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? (insulting their worship to God: limitation of their temple worship) “Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap-and charred ones at that?” (Hit at their present problems/weak points: limitation in building materials/resources)
3 “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!” (insulting their capability: limitation of skill and equipment)
NEHEMIAH RESPONDED BY PRAYER: 4 Then I prayed, “Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, ..Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in front of the builders.” (Pray to God to take up their case; continue building)
SECOND ROUND OF ATTACK FROM ENEMY: THREAT OF HARM
6 At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm. (people cheered by short term success) 7 But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard.., they were furious. 8 They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion. 9 But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.
THIRD ROUND OF ATTACK FROM INSIDE AND OUTSIDE: WEARINESS AND THREAT/SCHEME OF ATTACK
10 Then the people of Judah began to complain, “The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves.” (His workers complained: tired, too much rubble; not enough manpower.)
11 Meanwhile, our enemies were saying, “Before they know what’s happening, we will swoop down on them and kill them and end their work.”
Enemy threatened to attack them secretly.
12 The Jews who lived near the enemy came and told us again and again, “They will come from all directions and attack us!” (Jews frightened and kept repeating bad reports.)
13 So I placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, armed with swords, spears, and bows.
(Nehemiah responded by positioning armed guards, and arming families.)
14 Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your families and your homes!” (Nehemiah also spoke encouraging words to his people.)
15 When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall. (Enemy knew that the Jews have defense and halted their attack plan.)
v16 -23 Nehemiah continued to be vigilant against the enemy attack and armed his people.
Nehemiah 6 -Continued Opposition to Rebuilding: chapter six
FOURTH ROUND OF ATTACK FROM ENEMY: BY FAKE PEACE GESTURE & SLANDER
..our enemies found out that I had finished rebuilding the wall and that no gaps remained—..not yet set up the doors in the gates. 2 So Sanballat and Geshem sent a message asking me to meet them at one of the villages ..(enemy tried new tactic: pretend to be peaceful, but try to lure him to a remote place to murder him)
But I realized they were plotting to harm me, 3 so I replied .: “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?” (Nehemiah responded with discernment and avoided the danger) 4-7 the enemies tried five times making up story he wants to be king, but failed to distract Nehemiah. v8 I replied, “There is no truth in any part of your story. You are making up the whole thing.” (Nehemiah listened to the Holy Spirit, feared God and not fear men.) 9 “They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination.”
FIFTH ROUND OF ATTACK FROM ENEMY: BY DECEPTION (FALSE PROPHECY FOR HIS DISCREDIT)
10-11 I replied, “Should someone in my position run from danger? Should someone in my position enter the Temple to save his life? No, I won’t do it!” 13 They were hoping to intimidate me and make me sin. Then they would be able to accuse and discredit me. (Nehemiah was able to discern in his spirit accurately and choose to obey God and not man)
The Builders Complete the Wall
15-19 “So on October 2 the wall was finished—just fifty-two days after we had begun.” Enemies were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God. But There were enemies’ alliances among the nobles of Judah who spied on Nehemiah.
NEHEMIAH FIVE: SIXTH ROUND OF ATTACK FROM INSIDE: BY OPPRESSION
People protested against their fellow Jews.
The people borrowed money to pay taxes and sold their children as slaves to pay off their debts etc. they also lost their lands to the wealthy because of their debts.
Nehemiah’s response: He was very angry at first. 7 “After thinking it over, I spoke out against these nobles and officials. He pointed out that the poor have been redeemed from the foreigners. How can the Jews make them slaves again?
9 “Should you not walk in the fear of our God in order to avoid being mocked by enemy nations?”
(He took the lead to redress the economic imbalances and social oppressions).
TODAY’S APPLICATION: SUMMARY OF ENEMIES’ TACTICS
1. Insult and verbal abuse: enemies tried to make the Jews builders focus on their present problems (limitations of resources: skilled manpower and finances; their ‘unrealistic’ hope for resumption of a worship life as before prior their fall to Babylon).
(Are you aware that even a seemingly harmless little ‘fox’ can crush your fragile walls when you focus on the present problems and the physical aspects?)
2. Intensified attack at midpoint by further verbal threat of violence: enemies make plan to physically attack and harm them; the threat aims to throw them into fear and confusion.
(At midpoint when some success is achieved is the time when the enemies would intensify attacks, like threats of violence and harm).
3. Sabotage from within: Jewish builders complained (too much work and not enough workers); Jewish people who lived near the enemies gave bad reports of enemies’ threats. Jewish nobles who collaborated with the enemies spied on Nehemiah and his building project and reported to the enemies, also trying to distract him from carrying out his building work.
(Internal strives causing divisions among Christians is the most common tactic by the spiritual enemy.)
4. More Intensified attack: enemies planned to attack suddenly and secretly and kill them.
(Enemies are serious. They came to steal, kill and destroy. John 10:10)
5. Fake Peace Gesture: to make him compromise or get him murdered; when failed, the enemies slandered him.
(Beware of enemies’ sweet talk and change of gesture -from a violent stance to a peaceful stance!)
6. Further serious sabotage from within: The poor people were oppressed by their richer counterparts. People had to mortgage their lands and vineyards to get food and pay taxes. Eventually they were forced to sell their slaves into slavery for the rich.
(Economic hardship is the usual seed of discontent and disunity. That is why the Bible teaches us to take care of the poor.)
7. Enemies’ last Resort -attack from a trusted source: the enemies even hired a religious person (a Jewish prophet) to try to lure Nehemiah into hiding in the temple and thus discredit him.
(Always check and verify the words from men against the Word from God. Be well-versed with the Bible. Learn to walk closely with God and listen to the Holy Spirit. Sons of God are led by the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ sheep listen to His voice!)
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